Phonograph



Nov, 6, 1934. H. F. M. GRAMANN 1,979,829

PHONOGRAPH Filed Ju1 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR m i had, /&

ATTORNEY Nov. 6, 1934. H. F. M. GRAMANN- FHONOGRAPH Filed July 2.- 1929 2 Sheets-Shee1 2 Patented-Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PHONOGRAPH Heinrich F. Max Gramann, Orange, N. 1, as-

signor to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application-July 2, 1929, Serial No. 375,367

' 17 Claims.

The, present invention relates to the phonographic art and kindred industries and more particularly to certain types of phonographs employed for commercial or business purposes, such for example, as'those used for recording and stylus there is a tendency to swing the stylus laterally oflf center. In other words, when the stylus, which is pivotally mounted for lateral movement on the supporting arm, is being moved along a record in engagement therewith, and the direction of the movement along the record is.

suddenly changed and the stylus is skipped or skidded in" a backward direction over the surface of 'the record, the sudden movement of the stylus, together with the drag of the stylus on the surface of the record, will cause it to swing laterally on its pivotal mounting, and unless this swinging movement is restrained, the stylus will be thrown 'out of its normal centralized position in respect to the supporting arm and the usual sound box carried thereby. I i

Attempts have been made in the past to back space the stylus by disengaging the mechanism which imparts feeding movement to the carriage or supporting arm, and then moving the arm backwardly by a cam action. Attempts have also been, made to compensate for any lateral displacement of the'stylus from its proper cen-- tralized position by employing an inertia device for returning the stylus to such position. The results, however, have generally been unsatisfactory, due tolack of positive, uniform action, and also because the meansemployed often failed to function properly. I

The present invention aims to overcome the difficulties experienced by previous workers in the art by providing a construction whereby the carriage or supporting arm of aphonograph may be back spaced with a'positive action by means which cooperates or coacts directly with the feeding mechanism for the carriage or supporting arm, and whereby at the same time the stylus is maintained substantially in centralized position.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction whereby the stylus of 'a phonograph may be positively and uniformly back spaced,

Another object of. the invention is to provide means whereby the stylus of a phonograph when back spaced, is positively moved to and maintained in substantially centralized position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for simultaneously back spacing and centralizing thestylus of a phono graph.

Other and further objects and features of the invention .will be obvious upon an understanding of the preferred embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not specifically referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

For a clearer understanding of my invention attention is directed to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein:

Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, of a. phonograph having a preferred embodiment of my invention applied thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line AA of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the electro-magnet and linkage for actuating the rock rod of the phonograph.

' Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the sound box of the phonograph showing the means for centering the stylus. l i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged endelevation, partly in section and partly broken away, of the phonograph structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view, partly broken away, of the phonograph structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detailed view of parts of the mechanism: shown in Fig. 5. I

Referring particularly to the drawings there is shown in Fig. 1 the carriage or stylus arm of the supporting phonograph and its associated mechanisms.

u The arm 1 ismounted on the rock rod 2 for turning and sliding movements, the arm being arranged to be moved along said rod, during the normal operation of the phonograph, by means of the rotatable worm gear 3 cooperating as a feed at will to effect backspacing movement of the arm 1, all as will presently be more fully described. The adjustable stud 5 partially supports the weight of the arm 1 on the guide rod 6 as said arm is moved along the rock rod. Mounted on the arm 1, near its outer extremity, is agsound box or reproducer 7 of well known construction com-.

prising a stylus lever B which has a stylus 8 mounted in one end thereof and which is connected at its other end by means of a suitable flexible link, to the diaphragm of the reproducer 7. The stylus lever 8' is mounted at 10 on the floating weight 56 for pivotal movement in a vertical direction; while the floating weight is supported from the reproducer body for pivotal movements in a horizontal and a vertical direction by the pivot connections 9 and 11. At its free end the floating weight is provided with an extension or pin 53 which extends within the usual U-shaped limit loop secured to the reproducer body. It is thus apparent that the .stylus ismounted for limited swinging movement with respect tothe reproducer body, both in a horizontal and a vertical direction. With the arm 1 in the position shown, the stylus 8 engages the helical sound groove of a cylindrical record 12 mounted on the rotatable record support or mandrel '15. The rotation of said mandrel and record is synchronized with the movement of the arm 1 along the rock rod 2 so that the stylus 81s fed along the surface of the record 12 as it rotates, and is maintained in proper cooperation with the helical sound groove thereof.

The arm or carriage 1 is of the form shown and comprises a portion 13 having two side right 1'! is mounted for pivotal movement on the bushing 15 in the space formed between the lower end portions of flanges 14 and is of such size that it flts loosely within said space. The top and bottom and front of member 17 (as viewed in Fig. 2) are open, the said member comprising'the base portion 18 (Figs. 1 and 5) with two sides or leg's projecting at 90 therefrom. The legs or sides of member 1'7 are cut away as at 19 (Figs. 1 and 5) to afiord space for mechanism located therein, as will be described hereinafter. The base 18 i of member 17 is angularly offset or bent as at 57 so that said bent portion is normal to the axis of the inclined bolt 20 which is mounted therein. The bolt 20 has rotatably mounted thereon a sleeve 21, to the upper end of which is rigidly attached the hub 22 of the worm gear 3., A worm gear 23 is rigidly mounted on the sleeve 21 at its inner or,lower extremity. The bolt 20 is reduced in diameter at its lower end, said reduction commencing at a point slightly beyond the inner face of gear 23, thus forming the shoulder 73. A collar or spacing sleeve 24 .is disposed on this reduced portion of bolt/20 with its outer face in contact with the shoulder 73 on the bolt, thus preventing anypressure on said collar from being efiective on gear 23 or the sleeve 21 .to which said gear is secured. The threaded end of the bolt 20 extends through a slot 27 in the base 18 of the member 17, and is secured to said base by tightening up a nut 26 on its said threaded end. The bolt 20 and the element assembly thereon are thus held in fixed relation to the base 18 between the sides or legs of member 17, and extend forwardly beyond the open front face of said member 17; the arrangement being such that the worm gear 3 is positioned to coact with feed screw 4 and the gear 23 is positioned to coact with mechanism about to be described. It should be understood from the foregoing description that worm gear 3, sleeve 21 and gear 23 are rigidly connected so that if the gear 23 is rotated the sleeve 21 and worm gear 3 will also be'rotated on the bolt 20.

A cam 28 is eccentrically and rotatably mounted on the bushing 15 and carries a pin 29 having a reduced inner end portion which extends through a short circumferential slot 30 formed in bushing 15 and into engagement with a longitudinal slot 31 in the rock rod 2. The slot 30 in the bushing 15 is of such a size as to permit the rod 2 to be rocked so as to actuate the cam 28, as will be hereafter described, and also to permit the arm 1 and its associated mechanisms to be turned slightly on the rod so as to raise the stylus from engagement with a record, A screw 32 se'; cures the pin 29 within a recess provided therefor in the cam 28. The cam 28 has a pawl 33 pivotally mounted on its lower end by means of a pin 34, said pawl being yieldingly held by a spring 35 in engagement with a ratchet 3B which is fixed to a worm 37. The ratchet 36 and worm 37 are rotatably mounted on the bushing 15 adjacent cam 28 and within the space between the sides or legs of member 17 the worm 37 being so positioned that it meshes with gear 23.

A red 38 extends between and is secured in fixed relation to the two sides of member 17, and pivotally mounted on said rod are two curved arms 39 and 40 which are rigidly connected at their upper ends by a cross strip or band 41. Ro tatably mounted on the arm 39 by a stud 42 is a roller 43, said roller being held against the edge of cam 28 by a spring 44. .Arod 45 is. rigidly attached to the arm 40 at its upper end and extends therefrom between the' flanges 14 of arm 1 to a point slightly beyond the stud 5. Ifwo symmetrical bent arms 46 and 47 are pivotally connected and mounted on the under side of arm 1, at a point somewhat forwardly of the free end of rod 45, by means of a pin '49. A spring 48 constantly tends to maintain the arms 46 and 47 in the full line positions thereof shown in Fig. 4, in which the same respectively engage the forward ends of the flanges 14 of arm 1. The'arms are so arranged and are of such shape that their ends 51 and 52 will cooperate to engage the pin 53 which is an extension of'the floating weight 56 and move the latter and the stylus 8 to their proper central positions in respect to the sound box '7, when the ends 54 and 55 of the arms are I spread apart by forcing the rod 45 between them;-

said arms then assuming'the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. Upon removal of the rod 45 from between the ends 54 and 55, the spring 48 acts to return the arms to their normal positions, thus releasing the pin 53.

As indicated above, the member 17 is pivotally supported on .the bushing 15 which is fixedly mounted in the flanges 14 of arm 1. The cam 28 is also pivotally mounted on the bushing 15 with the pin 29 carried thereby extending through slot 30 of the bushing and into the slot- 31 of rock rod 2. The cam 28 is operatively associated with 'the worm 3'? through the pawl 33 and ratchet 36.

cannot be rotated without efiecting' rotation of the gear 23 and the worm 37. The cam 28 also engages the roller 43 which is mounted on the pivoted arm 39, while the latter. is connected by the band 41 to the arm 4% which carries the rod 45. Bearing these facts in mind-it is apparent that whenthe feed screw it is rotated the worm gear 3 is normally held against rotary movement and accordingly acts as a feed nut and is moved along the worm or feed screw; whileat the same time the arm 1, being rigidly connected to the worm gear 3, is slid along the rock rod 2 in the same ditaneously:

l. The pawl 33 is actuated to turn the ratchet 36 and thereby efiect turning movement of worm 37, gear 23 and worm gear 3. The gear 3 upon such turning movement coacts with the threads of the feed screw 4, the latter then acting as a rack, to convert the turning movement of the gear 3 into a lateral movement thereof along .the feed screw. The arm 1 and stylus 8 will, of course, partake of the same lateral movement as is thus imparted to the gear 3. Theconstruction and arrangement are such that the lateral movement thus imparted to gear 3, arm 1 and stylus 8 is in Y rotation thereof.

2. The eccentric portion 58 of the cam 28 engages the cam roller 43 causing the arms 39 and 40 to swing outwardly about the rod 38 to the position shown in dotted lines at 59 (Fig. 1). This movement causes such a displacement of the rod as to bring the forward end thereof to the position shown in dotted lines at '76 in Figs. 1 and 4; and such displacement of rod 45 effects the movement of arms 46 and 47 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 to thereby loosely engage extension 54 and laterally centralize the floating weight 56 and stylus 8 in respect to the sound box 7.

Considering the member 17 which is pivotally supported on the bushing 15, it is seen that this member is free to turn on the bushing through every small arc, said turning movement being limited by the adjustable screw 60 in one direction and by the coaction of the strip or band 41 with the inner side of the angular portion 16 of one of the flanges 1d of arm 1, in the other direction. The fiat spring 61 acts to hold' the member 1'? in such angular position on the bushing 15 that the top edge of the base 18 of said member is in contact with said adjustable screw 60 when no other rotative force is applied to said member.

when, however, the parts are in operative posibination of a rotatable record support, a stylus tion, as shown, with the worm gear 3 engaging the feed screw 4, the member 17 is turned slightly against the action of spring 61 and is held substantially midway between .the' limits of its tuming movement, the spring 61 providing a cushioning efiect whereby the worm gear 3 is then yieldingly maintained in engagement. with the feed screw 4 under pressure of the said spring.

Rigidly attached to one end of the rock rod 2 is the lever or arm 62 which is pivotally connected through a suitable linkage 63 to the armature 64 of an electro-magnet 65 (shown in Fig. 3). The circuit 66 of the electro-magnet includes a suitable source 6'? of electric energy and a push construction and arrangement of parts of the button controlswitch 68 which is normally maintained open by means of spring 69. The electromagnet is mounted in such a position that when demagnetized the armature 64, which is pivotally mounted at '70, will be'swung downward on its pivot by gravity and be maintained in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the engagement of the spring 71 mounted thereon with the adjustable screw '72; when, however, the push button switch 68 is operated to close the circuit 66, the armature 64 will be rapidly moved to a horizontal position by the action of the magnetic field, and the rock arm 2 will be suddenly rocked by means of the linkage 63 and the lever 62, to the positions indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the circuit is broken by releasing the push button 68, the armature is moved back to its original position by gravity, in which movement the rock rod 2 is turned back to its original position.

Thus it will be seen that when the button 68 is depressed the rock rod 2 is suddenly rocked, which action, as heretofore explained, causes the worm gear 3 to suddenly turn alimited amount on-the threads of feed screw 4, which is rotating very slowly if the phonograph is in operation. This sudden turning movement of gear 3 causes it to move backwardly along the feed screw for a limited distance and to there by rapidly move the arm 1 and the stylus 8 in a backwarddirection with respect to the rotating record 12. This rapid backward movement causes the stylus to skid or skip across the surface of the record, but without material injury to the sound grooves therein, and at the same time the displacement of rod 45 causes the bent arms 46 and 47- to engage the pin 53. and thereby place and maintain the stylus substantially in fixed, lateral centralized position in respect to the sound box 7 during said movement. Upon the cessation 01' the back spacing movement of stylus 8 and the release of button 68, the arms 46 and 47 will be returned by spring 48 to their former positions and thus release the stylus. It is obvious that the stylus will be moved back only a short distance each time 120 the button 63 is pushed and if a further back spac ng is desired the operator has merely to repeat the operation until the desired position of the stylus in relation to the sound record grooves of the record has been reached. It is, of course, also obvious that the button 68 may, by means of suitable leads, be placed in any position most convenient to the operator.

As various changes may be made in the form,

above described embod ment without departing from the spirit of the invention, all matter contained herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a. device of the class described, the com! adapted to cooperate with a record tablet carried by said support, means, comprising a rotatable feed nut and a cooperating feed screw, normally adapted to advance said stylus in respect to said support, and mechanism adapted to rotate said feed nut with the latter in cooporation with said feed screw to efiect back spacing of the said stylus in respect to said support.

2. In a device of the class described, the com', bination of a movable arm carrying a stylus, means for moving said arm in one direction, said means comprising'a feed nut and a cooperating screw,- and means adapted upon each, actuation 150 thereof to rotate said feed nut with the latter in' cooperation with said feed screw to move said arm in an opposite direction.

3. In a device or the class described, the combination of a movable arm carrying a sound box and a stylus which is movably mounted in respect to said sound box, means for moving said arm, sound box and stylus in one direction, said means comprising a rotatable feed nut, independentrmeans adapted to coact with said feed nut whereby the latter will be actuated to move said arm, sound box and stylus in a reverse direction, and means adapted to coact with said independent means to move said stylus to' and maintain the same substantially -in centralized position in respect to said sound box upon said reverse movement. I

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rotatable record support, an arm carrying a stylus, means comprising a rotatable feed nut for moving said arm and stylus in one direction with respect to said record support and mechanism adapted to coact with said feed nut for moving said arm and stylus in a reverse direction while said means is in operative position.

5. In a device or the class described, the combination of a rock rod, an'arm movably mounted thereon, a stylus on said arm, means for moving said arm and stylus in one direction along said rod, means for rocking said rod, and mechanism actuated whensaid rod is rocked and adapted to coact with said moving means to move said arm and stylus in areverse direction.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rock rod, an arm movably mounted thereon and carrying a sound box, a stylus movably mounted in respect to said sound box, a pin associated with said stylus mounting, means for engaging said pin, means for rocking said rod, mechanism actuatable by said rock rod and adapted to coact with said. engaging means to move said stylus to and maintain the same substantially in centralized position in respect to said sound box.

7. In a device of the class described, the com bination of a rock rod, an arm mounted-thereon carrying a soimd box and a stylus which is mov-, ably mounted in respect to said sound box, pivoted means comprising two cooperative mem bers mounted on said arm, and means adapted simultaneously to engage and actuate both of said pivoted means to cause the latter to move said stylus to-and maintain the same substantially in centralized position in respect to said sound box.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a movable arm carrying a sound box and a stylus which is movably mounted in respect to said sound box, a rotatable record support, means for moving said arm, sound box and stylus in one direction along said support, said means comprising a rotatable feed nut, mechanism adapted to actuate said feed nut whereby the latter will cause said arm, sound box and stylus to move in a reverse direction, and means adapted to coact with said mechanism when the same is operated to move the stylus to and maintain the same substantially in centralized position in means adapted to rock said rod, and gripping means operable by said rock rod for moving said stylus to and maintaining the same substantially in fixed centralized position in respect to said sound box without disengaging the stylus from saidrecord. i

10. In a phonograph, a traveling arm, a sound box on said arm, a stylus movably mounted in respect to said sound box, two pivoted members mounted on said arm, and means for simultaneously actuating both of said members to bring them into engagement with a part of the stylus mounting and to thereby bring the stylus to a substantially fixed centralized position in respect to said sound box.

11. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable record support, a stylus, a traveling armx carrying said stylus, means for moving said arm andstylus in one direction with .respect to said support and comprising a rotatable feed nut, and mechanism adapted to actuate said nut to effect movement of said arm arid stylus in a reverse direction.

12. In a phonograph,-the combination of a rotatable record support, a rock rod, a traveling arm movable upon said rock rod, a sound box on said arm, a stylus movably mounted in respect to said sound box, means for moving said arm, sound box and stylus in one direction along said support, mechanism associated with said rock rod and arm whereby said means maybe actuated to move said arm, sound box and stylus in a' reverse direction, and means whereby said stylus is placed and maintained substantially in centralized position in respect to said sound box when moved in such reverse direction.

13. In a phonograph,the combination of a rotatable support carrying a record, a stylus cooperating with said record, mechanism for moving said stylus along said record in one direction, and means adapted to cooperate with said mechanism to move said stylus in an opposite direction, said means being adapted'to function while the stylus engages the record and while said mechanism is in operative position.

14. In a phonograph, the combination of a ro tatable record support, a movable arm carrying a stylus, a rotatable feed screw, a gear mounted on said arm and adapted to coact as a feed nut with said feed screw to move said arm in one direction and means adapted to impart rotary movement to said gear and cause the iatter to coact with said feed screw to move said arm in tatable record support, a movable arm carrying a sound box, a stylus movably mounted in respect to said sound box, a rotatable feed screw, a worm gear mounted on said arm and adapted to coact as a feed nut with said feed screw to move said am in one direction, means for imparting rotary movement to said gear to cause the latter to coact with said feed screw move said arm in a reverse direction, and mechanism. adapted to coact with said means to place and maintain said stylus substantially in centralized position in respect to said sound box during said reverse movement. 7

16. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable record support, a movable arm carrying a stylus, a rotatable feed screw, 2. gear mounted on said arm and adapted to coact as a feed nut with said feed screw to move said arm in one direction upon'the rotation of said feed screw, and means for imparting rotary movement to rt said means comw is in rotation to direction along said suppo I a eiei y efl in rfi ni c i aid ann in an opprising a rotatable feed nut, and means operable to effect movement of said sty another poslte direction. I d motion along said support, said last named m a l5 poi-Z g tgl gz g to eo og z k frei i being adaptedtoactuate said teed nut. I 39 bie a manne 23523 $3232? nfiifiefiiii sam stylus in one HEINRICH F. MAX em r 8! CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No.- 1,979,829. November 6, 1934.

HEINRICH F. MAX GRAMANN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed epecificationof the" v the above numbered requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 149, claim 2, after "cooperating" insert the word feed; ma that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of v the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of March, A. D; 1935.

Leslie Fra zer I (sen) Acting Commiaioner-oi Patents; 7

Ill 00 m or I I no a r said gear while said feed screw is in rotation to direction along said support, said means comthereby eflect movement of said arm in an opprising a rotatable feed nut, and means operable posite direction. to effect movement of said stylusin another div 17. In a phonograph,'a rotatable record suprection along said support, said last named means 5 port, a stylus adapted to cooperate with a record being adapted to actuate said teed nut. 80

on said support, means operable in a manner adapted toefiect movement 01 said stylus in one HEINRICH F. MAX GRAMANN.

. 88 v CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No.-

l November 6, 1934.

HEINRICH F. MAX GRAMANN.

It is hereby certified that error a I ppcars m the tinted Y the ah ove numbered requiring correction as follows: Page 3f l i lz g zg g g I after fp f g" insert the word feed; and that the said Lette P houid be read with thlS correction therein that the same may conform to th 1! the case in the Patent Office. e 9 a Signed and sealed this 5th day of March, A, D; 1935 Leslie Fra zer sen Acting Commissioner-o! Patents.-

Ill 

